Hydro-What?
by Cedek18
Summary: Fear: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Peridot felt all of those things. Isn't the beach supposed to be fun? Maybe Jasper could help.


**Author's Note:**

Just something that popped into my head:) This is unrelated to my other story Sad Song. Note that _Italicized_ words are thoughts.

 **Disclaimer:**

I don't own Steven Universe

 **Hydro-what?**

The sun shone bright on the deep blue ocean, making it dazzle and sparkle beautifully. Seagulls flew high in the sky, as they screeched at the residents of Beach City. The day was young and the weather was perfect, not a single cloud was in the brilliant blue sky. On this particular day the sand by the beach house was a little more crowded than usual. Breaking the normal quietness of this little town (that is when the Crystal Gems aren't destroying some corrupted gem mutant).

"Sadie, catch!" A boy's voice rang out, drawing the attention of a short lady wearing a black tank top and a pair of flip flops.

"I got it Steven!" The blonde donut saleswoman yelled excitedly as she went to catch the ball.

She missed it.

The sand was covered with Steven's friends that resided in Beach City. Pearl thought it would be, "good for Steven to interact with humans more often, instead of being surrounded by gems constantly." And with the help of the other gems, they threw a small get together beach party for him. For safety precautions the gems decided to throw the party outside of their place of dwelling, just in case a mission was to present itself. For Steven's sake, they hoped it would not.

Everyone was preoccupied with an activity, so no one was left with nothing to do. By the front of the beach house, Sadie was playing catch with Steven in the sand with lion observing from a short distance away.

Sadie bashfully scratched at the back of her neck, "Hey, I'm sorry about not believing you had a lion. It just seemed so surreal." She quickly moved her arm to catch the red ball flying towards her, a smile on her pale face. "But then again... You're Steven, and anything is possible for you." She gently tossed the ball back his way.

"It's really not a big deal Sadie," Steven brushed off the apology, seeing that it wasn't that big of a deal in the first place. He let a big smile grace his face as his cheeks became dusted with a faint shade of pink. "I probably wouldn't believe it either."

Farther to the left of Steven and Sadie, Kiki and her family played in the area reserved for a friendly game of volleyball. Even though it was anything but; her family (especially her father) used the same tactics as the last time the gems went against them. Apparently being younger didn't give you any advantages in sports anymore, the grownups using superiority against the younger generation.

"Kiki! Touch that ball and you are grounded!" The man yelled across the 'court'. Effectively making her miss the volleyball coming her way, she angrily watched it fall to the sand.

"Daddy!"

Of course there were others there, like Lars, Ronaldo, and Beach City's mailman Jamie. The other guests were relaxing on the beach near the saltwater, under the comforting shade of their umbrellas. The Crystal Gems had said they needed to grab some supplies for the party, and they had headed off to the barn when Amethyst had recalled seeing some useful things there. With parting waves, the gems headed off and promised to be back within 15 minutes.

* * *

Peridot sat by herself in the warm sand, fiddling with it. She would grab a handful of it and watch as the molecules of sand slipped through her small hands in a tranquil peace. Unlike the others, she adorned her normal green outfit instead of changing into beach wear, not quite comfortable with changing yet. The others didn't question her decision, and let her do what she wished.

She seemed so small by herself, sitting in the shade that was provided by the rock face. It was cooler here, not the scorch that seemed to take over every other part of the beach. Scorch was the word Peridot would use, but to anyone else (including the gems) it was beautiful and perfect weather for outdoor activities. She would take cold over hot, that's just the way she was. It would have been a good idea to change out of her suit and exchange it for something with more breathable material, and she would be lying if she said she had never thought about it. But she didn't plan on staying out here any longer than she had to, the only reason she was outside in the first place was because Steven had begged her to stay. So she complied to his wishes, but regretted the fact that she was left with little to do in this free time.

The sun reflected off of the ocean, the brightness hurting her pretty green eyes. She looked away and cringed, from both the light that stung her eyes and from fear. _That_ water was definitely not going to be part of the list of things she could do while out here. Just the sight of it chilled her to the bone, and to her surprise, her green body had acquired goosebumps in this heat. A thin layer of shame fell upon her, and with that shame came anger, and she couldn't help but express it.

"I don't know what Steven was thinking when he invited me. There's nothing for me to do." She said in a vexed tone, "I should've just stayed inside, but _no_ I just had to give in to his whining." A big shadow loomed over her, and a pair of orange feet stopped in front of Peridot.

"You know, talking to yourself is a sure sign of insanity."

"I wouldn't be surprised about that actually." Peridot didn't have to look up to know who it was that stood in front of her. "Hey Jasper."

"This seat taken?" Peridot gazed up at Jasper and took notice that she too wore her uniform, but had formed off any material that had clung to her feet, leaving her barefoot. Jasper's long and beautiful mane trailed down her shoulders, and her yellow eyes held a confidence that Peridot wished she had.

The small gem tried to hide her anger and discomfort with sarcasm, "Seeing that there aren't any chairs lying around, I would assume that no seats are taken." Peridot knew Jasper saw right through her, those sharp eyes somehow always knew when something was wrong. Peridot's suspicions were confirmed when the orange gem didn't move to walk away.

"Hmph." The sand next to Peridot shifted, "Whatcha doin' over here all by yourself? I thought you would've at least played with Steven." A frown twitched over Jasper's face, it was unlike Peridot to not be with Steven on most days. And the way that Peridot looked now; covered in sand and with a distressed look on her face, she knew something must be wrong. "Are you… Ya know, okay?"

Even from the other side of the beach Jasper could tell how lonely and troubled this little gem looked. She was just surprised that no one else seemed to have seen it but her and had taken action. Weren't these earthlings and gems her friends? So with heavy feet, Jasper had ambled her way over to Peridot. She had a strange need to comfort this gem, and comfort wasn't something she did often.

Back on Homeworld, she would sneer at gems who would let their _emotions_ and _feelings_ get the best of them. Empathy meant weakness, and she couldn't afford to be seen with one. When one had a weakness, they were as good as dead on the battlefield. But this wasn't Homeworld, this was Earth, and one other thing-

This was Peridot.

Jasper had formed a fondness for Peridot that she couldn't really explain. Maybe it was the fact that the green gem was very small and looked vulnerable, or maybe it was because she had been hired to protect this gem on her mission that had gone wrong. But what she did know, was that she didn't have this connection with the other gems. Her amber eyes rested on the sight before her, and without a hint of hesitance, wrapped her arm around the gem next to her and pulled her closer to her sun kissed body. "If there's something wrong, I-um," She struggled with her words, it was like someone had grabbed onto her tongue and held on for dear life. "I could um…"

 _Damn it._

She should've went to go get Steven, Pearl, or anyone else for this situation, gems like Jasper weren't meant to bring comfort. Gems like Jasper were meant to be fighters, ruthless and cold on the battlefield. She couldn't possibly count how many lives she had singlehandedly taken during the war. She was tactical, smart, and a fast learner, the best in her batch actually. Put her in any deadly situation, and she could handle it with ease. But now here she was trying to comfort Peridot and had no idea of what to say or do. Jasper couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, "I'm sorry I-"

"No it's fine…" Jasper's blush darkened when she looked down to see Peridot snuggle into her side and grab a handful of her red uniform.

Seeing that Jasper was struggling with her speech was slightly amusing to the small gem. The usual cold nature of Jasper seemed to have melted for the moment, and Peridot would have felt like a fool for not seizing this once in-a-lifetime opportunity. "I'm just-" Peridot twirled a piece of Jasper's hair on her finger and kicked at the sand with her small feet. Her eyes roamed the ground, too nervous to look up at the hulking gem right next to her. "Do you have any fears Jasper?" Peridot was taken aback with how quick Jasper had answered.

"Of course I do Peridot." The orange gem raised an eyebrow, "But what brought that up?" A look of confusion swept over her face and made the skin around her gem wrinkle in a funny way. Confusion was definitely a humorous look for Jasper, and Peridot let a little laugh slip out before she was able to stop herself.

"I hope your face doesn't get stuck like that." Towards the end of her sentence, her voice lost the upbeat tone, in its place was one of shame. "I feel like I have too many of them… These fears. And I can't help but think that I… Am a complete coward for just having them." Peridot's grip on Jasper's mane became rigid and tight, "Gems like you don't have any, and gems like me… Are shattered."

"Gems like me?" Jasper asked. "I have my own fears, Peridot. Everyone has them, no matter how much we try to hide them. And just because you have fear doesn't make you weaker, and it doesn't really matter that you have them." Jasper peered down at Peridot, only to find that she was still twiddling with her mane and her eyes seemed locked to the ground. With her other hand, Jasper gently made Peridot release her hair and guided her chin up to face her. "What really matters is how you deal and live with them. _That's_ what makes you stronger."

"But what if I'm not meant to be strong?" Peridot grabbed at the hand that Jasper had placed on her green cheek, and silently marveled at their size difference. "You're bigger than me… You're stronger than me- You have less to fear."

"You know that's not true," Jasper chided, "My size doesn't matter, and my fears are as big as yours." She removed her hand from Peridot's cheek and moved to run her hand through her own hair, "Speaking of which- you never told me what it is…"

* * *

"You can't be serious." The hair on the back of Jasper's neck rose, and her amber eyes went wide. Her senses felt heightened, and her chest tightened.

"But I am Jasper." Garnet's tone was hard, "I need you to do this, you're the only one who could."

"But she'll hate me after that!" Jasper bared her teeth, in hopes that intimidation would change the mindset of these gems. She was met with the taste of iron; she must have bitten her tongue in her rage.

After Jasper's conversation with Peridot, she thought it was necessary to tell someone who could help with this situation. Seeing that the other gems were back from the barn, she went and told them about what had transpired between Jasper and the green gem.

She deeply regretted her decision.

"She'll be a liability to the team, and being the soldier you are, I know you're thinking the same thing."

"Don't _assume_ anything! Especially if it has anything to do with me!" Jasper growled. "I feel I've betrayed her just by telling you this! I asked you to help her, not throw her under the bus!" Her gruff voice trembled slightly, and her breathing was ragged. What was this gem thinking!? Jasper couldn't do this to her friend, she didn't think Peridot could handle it. It didn't matter what Garnet said, she could even threaten Jasper, and it wouldn't matter.

Garnet sighed into her hand, "You're being unreasonable. Just think, you'll be helping her this way. It's not like I'm telling you to dunk her under the water, I'm asking you to carry her in waist deep, to try to get her used to it."

"But I can't-"

"Yes you _can_."

"Garnet's right," Pearl interjected, "She needs to be able to face her fear, otherwise she won't be able to go on many missions with us."

"Then I'll stay here and watch after her while you guys are gone," Jasper tried to reason with them, but it didn't seem to be working. "I can't put her through that, _it's not fair_." Jasper was practically yelling at the end of her statement. Who did this Pearl think she was?! Jasper was just about to question her when she was stopped before she could even open her mouth to retaliate.

"What if in the long run this saves her life?" To everyone's bewilderment, Amethyst was the one to speak. Her voice was at a low rasp, "What if down the road some weird monster chases all of us into a corner? And the only way we could possibly save ourselves is to swim away." Amethyst's eyes turned cold when she looked up at Jasper from under her hair. "What if you didn't do this, and we end up _losing_ Peridot to some monster. I really don't think you want that on your shoulders, and I know I don't." The purple gem went to take a step towards Peridot's direction, "And if you won't do it, then I will. I'm not going to lose another friend."

"Wait-" Jasper's heart pounded at the mention of the possibility of Peridot dying at the hands of a gem mutant. It didn't take long for Jasper to come up with her choice, she just hoped she could go through with it. Squaring her shoulders, Jasper released a breath. "I'll do it."

"I knew you would."

* * *

When Jasper had trudged her way back to where Peridot sat, she couldn't help but slightly agree with Garnet and the other gems. Jasper couldn't believe it, those Crystal Gems had changed her mind with one statement made by a puny runt. But those gems had a point, Peridot needed to face her fear, and it would be better sooner rather than later. But the fact that they were _forcing_ her instead of having Peridot making the decision for herself, was _wrong_. Just the thought of this plan left a foul taste in the orange gem's mouth. So now it was time to act out Garnet's plan despite Jasper's reluctance and unwillingness to do this to her little friend. She swallowed thickly, and ran an orange hand through her hair. But this didn't quell the feelings of nervousness and rage that simmered below her skin. Her hand twitched, having the itch to hit something. Before Jasper knew it, she had made it to Peridot quickly and before the little gem could do or say anything, she was lifted up and cradled against Jasper's chest.

Being hoisted up so quickly had left the little gem slightly disoriented, "Wha?" She brought a hand to her gem located on her forehead and clenched her eyes closed, in hopes to make the world stop spinning. She had recognized the one who had picked her up even without seeing her, all she had to do was inhale her relaxing scent; cinnamon and hint of sea salt. "Jasper? What are you doing? What's going on?"

Jasper casted her gaze away from Peridot's wondering and slightly dazed eyes shamefully, and made way for where the waves hit the sand with a soft splash. She instinctively tightened her grip on the gem in her arms while she heaved a guilty sigh.

The world had finally stopped spinning for Peridot, and she could make out her surroundings once again. Her gaze went from looking up at Jasper to the shore line that seemed to be getting closer and closer. Once Peridot became aware of what was transpiring, she gave a little gasp and her body went rigid.

Jasper winced inwardly when she felt Peridot freeze up in her arms, and knowing that she was the cause of it made her feel woosy. "Listen Peridot-"

"I'm getting nowhere near that dihydrogen oxide! Please don't make me!" She was shaking as she tried to claw her way out of the bigger gem's arms. A grimace had formed on Jasper's face as Peridot's claws grabbed at her skin, leaving slightly red tinged marks on her orange body.

"Hey, I don't need anymore stripes there green bean." She choked out a chuckle as she pried Peridot's claws off of her body with one hand, while the other tried to keep a firm grip on the mess of a gem cradled in her arm. To Jasper's surprise she almost lost her hold when Peridot continued to struggle, and her hand moved down to grasp the green gem's suit clad backside.

The flustered gem let out an indignified "Hey!" that would have sounded more like a threat if it wasn't for her voice cracking as her face darkened to an emerald color. She covered her face in an attempt to hide her embarrassment under her arms. It took Jasper all but a second to move her hand elsewhere, her face also darkening, but with a crimson color.

The distance to the water was getting shorter and shorter, with Jasper's strides it was a wonder that they weren't there already. Guilt was what weighed the larger gem down, making it feel as if the planets ocean was pulling her down again.

Peridot's fate was inevitable, but that didn't mean she couldn't prolong the time the young gem spent on dry land _not_ hating her. She feared that the little gem would never speak to her again after this. But to Jasper, she believed that Peridot had the right to hate her.

The position the young gem took in her arms was an odd one. Her legs straddled the orange gem's arm- one leg was still stuck in between Jasper's chest and arm, making it hard to escape still. Peridot's face was buried in Jasper's shoulder, and her claws had gone for her clothing this time instead of skin. And boy, was Jasper grateful for that. The unnecessary breathing in her ear became ragged and sounded desperate, making Jasper feel even more guilty. She repositioned the gem in her arms again, back to cradling against her broad chest. She looked down to see Peridot emerald faced, while her clawed hands clung desperately to her shirt. The young gem was trying to claw her way back up to Jasper's shoulder, and for some gem forsaken reason Jasper let her.

"Um on Eridot, Harnet said you hould ry it." Her speech became muddled as she felt Peridot probe her mouth with her fingers and latch onto her bottom jaw. She yanked her face out of the little gem's reach, and spat the sand that was in her mouth from Peridot's fingers. "Well that's nasty."

"Don't listen to that clod! I thought you didn't take orders from anyone!? What happened to _that_ Jasper?"

"Nothing's changed, now this would be different if I wasn't in the same mindset as her right now Peri." _Lies_. "You're going to try this."

"Nuh uh!" Peridot's attempts of escape didn't seem to affect the hulking gem carrying her. It was like watching a kitten trying to attack a huge dog; it was pointless and she knew that she couldn't and wouldn't win, but she still continued to try. The green gem smacked at the other gem's arms trying to see if inflicting pain would help. But it had little to no effect. Then she latched herself onto a rather long bunch of platinum blonde hair and yanked on it in means of escape.

A small growl escaped Jasper's throat, she hadn't expected this little gem to become violent. But it seemed she wouldn't need to endure this for much longer, the ocean's shore was only a measly three feet away. When the green gem noticed too, she gave up on physical pain, and went for begging for mercy. But her cries fell on deaf ears, no matter how hard she tried it seemed the bigger gem wouldn't have any of it.

"Please Jasper! Don't do this to me!" The whimpers slipped out of Peridot one after another; they just wouldn't _stop_ , and it seemed Jasper wouldn't either. Peridot tried to push herself out of the large gem's clutches, but that only served as a reason for Jasper to hold her tighter in her strong arms. Peridot's face flushed as her breathing became spasmodic once again. If she hadn't been able to escape this whole ordeal, what made her think that she could escape now?

"You're making this much more difficult than it has to be, and a little thing like you won't be able to break my grip on you."

Knowing that breaking out of this gem's arms was futile, she grabbed at Jasper again, unwilling to allow any slack into her hold this time. The waves of the ocean seemed to call her name mockingly as the surge of water crashed threateningly onto the sand. "I don't wanna! Jasper please don't do this!" Peridot buried her face into Jasper's neck and held her breath.

By the time that Peridot pulled her face away from Jasper, they had already made it into the ocean.

Waist deep.

In Peridot's eyes, the water was horrifying. The cold wrapped around tiny feet and then swallowed short legs and clamped its teeth onto slim hips. She wanted out, but the gem that held her ignored Peridot's pleas. In her state of panic, the only thing her body was telling her to do was escape, escape now. But the small gem couldn't comply with her body's needs. So she did the only thing she could do; cry. The salty water that Peridot could produce came and washed over her green cheeks. The cold ocean water made her body burn, and Peridot thought that maybe her own water could distinguish it.

But sadly, she was wrong.

* * *

Jasper just couldn't comprehend why this gem was so terrified of the liquid. There were much scarier things on this planet than this water. This gem was going to have a tough time living here once she found out that the Earth was covered in the stuff. She practically lived right next to the ocean. Jasper had no doubt that if this little scene would have happened on Homeworld, this gem would have been shattered in mere seconds.

Well if Jasper was there she wouldn't let that happen.

Her job was to protect this gem when she was part of Homeworld, but she wasn't a Homeworld Gem anymore. Being a Crystal Gem gave her a new start, but there was one thing she wouldn't let herself forget about her old life-

She was still going to protect Peridot no matter what.

And now here she was, watching the gem she swore to herself to protect struggle in her arms.

It made her feel _sick_.

When Peridot's tears came- that was enough for Jasper. The little gem had her face buried in Jasper's neck, and Jasper could feel them more than see them. She brought her hand up to cup the back of Peridot's head and hurriedly made her way back to shore. Tears prickling at her own eyes, the guilt of the situation beginning to take its toll. How could she have been so stupid? She knew this wasn't right and she still did it, this was wrong- so, so wrong.

A whimper and a few sniffles escaped the small gem that was clutched to her large chest. "Jasper.." Peridot practically sagged against the orange gem, the fight leaving her body from exhaustion. The hand at the back of her head was comforting, the thick fingers were caressing and threading their way through her hair. But her body still slightly trembled from fear and her fingers still held Jasper's clothes in a death grip. The small gem didn't know that both her and Jasper had left the cold water, and only took her tear stained face away from Jasper's neck when she felt the orange gem fall to her knees on the sand.

Tears still streamed down the little gem's face as she sat in the large lap. The shaking had stopped, Jasper noted, but that didn't stop her from clutching the gem close offering the warmth from her body. The tears still threatened to leak from Jasper's own eyes though- and when Peridot turned to look up at her- that's when the dam broke.

Peridot's eyes widened at the sight before her- a massive quartz, reduced to a pile of tears.

Cheeks flushed, Peridot scrambled up to the soldier's face and placed her hands onto her cheeks. The orange gem's eyes were screwed shut tightly, and tears continued to silently run down her striped face. The big gem barely made a sound- aside from her slightly spasmodic breathing. "Jasper!"

"I-I'm so sorry Peri!" Her eyes opened, the once striking gold color of her irises were dulled to a murky yellow color. She shook the small hands off of her face and proceeded to nuzzle her face into Peridot's fluffy hair. "I'm sorry…"

Seeing her caretaker so heartbroken, the small gem could hardly hold back her remaining tears. A few trickled down her flushed emerald face, but it soon turned into a steady flowing river once again. She burrowed her face back up at Jasper and tried to speak, her voice laced with tears. "Y-you're m-making me c-cry you b-brute!"

Jasper's breathing was heavy in Peridot's hair as she tried to calm herself down. She could still smell it- the fear. Peridot's fear. The fear that _she_ had caused. "You have every right not to forgive me…" She took her face out of the small gem's hair and adjusted the weight in her arms into a cradling position. " _I_ wouldn't forgive me." The gem in her arms still proceeded to let a few tears trickle down her face, and Jasper worked her thumb rhythmically to wipe them away. She wasn't going to mention the other gems- she wasn't going to place the blame on them too. She was the one to carry out this _order_ and she was going to take the blame for it.

Peridot snuggled her face into Jasper's chest finding comfort in the other gems warmth- it was a stark contrast to the cold water. When she realized that she was being spoken to, she looked up to the other gem. Dulled gold eyes met green, and Peridot could tell how sorry she was just by _looking_ at her. Her face flushed a pretty green when Jasper went to remove her visor, trying to get the tears that hid underneath it.

"Please stop." Jasper whispered tenderly.

The soft command startled her, "What?" She practically breathed.

The orange gem looked away from Peridot's wide eyes, "Please stop crying." A soft sigh escaped past her lips when she added, "It hurts." Indeed it did hurt her, it caused a tight feeling in her chest that ached even more so when she looked at the gem in her arms.

"I don't understand… Why this?" Peridot gestured around her, "Why would you put me through that?" By that she meant the situation with the water, she knew that Jasper would know what she was referring to. She waited patiently for her answer, and she knew she would get it when Jasper returned her gaze to her.

"Your fear- it would've made you unable to join the group on missions…" Her voice trailed off, "I shouldn't have listened to the fusion." The thumb on Peridot's face stopped its motion and instead went and threaded itself, along with the rest of her hand, through Jasper's own hair. "I made a terrible mistake, and I regret it immensely- I was stupid."

Peridot stopped her at that, "I don't think you're stupid…" She sat up in Jasper's arms, "You're a soldier- you were made to take orders…" She took the hand that had wiped her tears away and hugged it to her body. "It shouldn't surprise me that the habit still hasn't went away."

"That isn't a very good excuse for my actions- Peridot. There is no excuse." She shook her head in despair, "And I wouldn't know where to even begin to make up for it." Her gruff voice cracked in the middle of the confession which brought a rosiness to her cheeks.

Peridot's grip on Jasper's hand grew tighter as she nuzzled her visor free face against it. "How about a hug?"

* * *

Peridot was still in Jasper's arms, not wanting to part with the large gem just yet. The sun was setting above the ocean, making a marvelous orange and pink color take over the once blue sky. It casted a glow across the water- making it look a little less frightening. But the events of the day were still fresh in her little mind, so she casted her gaze away from the water and opted to look at Jasper instead. "Jasper?"

Jasper was staring at the ocean where blue met pink and orange. It was pretty- she decided. But when Peridot called to her, she immediately removed her attention from the water to Peridot. The bright gold color had finally returned to her eyes- with Peridot's help of course. The guilt hadn't gone away, but with the small gem in her arms reassuring her forgiveness- most of it had disappeared. Her hold on the gem tightened, but not uncomfortably. "Yeah Dot?"

"You said everyone has a fear… right?"

"...yeah." She knew where this was going.

"What about yours? You have a fear...right?" Jasper had mentioned it earlier- and when Jasper had left Peridot after her little pep talk she could only wonder what it could have been.

"Yeah- of course I do." The green gem in her arms stared up at Jasper, and sensing the unasked question, she gave a sigh. "It's losing you."


End file.
